Knitting machine



Dec. 1, 1936. .L3,; BR D EY 2,062,695

KNITTING MACHINE Filed May 24, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 1, 1936. J. v. BRADLEY KNITTING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 24, 1935 fare/fi er Patented Dec. 1, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT" OFFICE The present invention relates to full fashioned knitting machines, particularly to knitting machines of this type which include a plurality of individual needle bars, all operated from a common source of power and each of whichcooperates with other portions of the machine in knitting a single strip of fabric, co-extensive in width with the needle bar.

Knitting machines of this general type have long been known and many have been and are now in use, such machines .embodying occasionally as many as twenty-eight knitting sec tions, each section including its own needle bar and associated mechanism, and all of the needle bars being operated from a common power driven shaft. Each needle bar has mounted thereon a large number of relatively fragile needles, spaced closely together and in parallelism, as is well-known, and for perfect knitting, all needles of any single needle bar must be in- ;tact and in proper positions.

It frequently happens, however, that for some cause or other the needles of'some one or more needle bar upon which work must be done, since ate as before.

certain novel features of construction whereby all needle bars are driven from a common shaft or source of power. To 'eifect'repairs to one set bar which may actually need repair, allowing the remaining perfect needle bars to continue to operate. When repairs to the defective needle bar have been completed it may be again connected to the common needle bar operating mechanism and will thereafter continue to oper- The invention likewise includes the operator is enabled to more accurately position or adjust each needle bar with relation to the usual parts of the knitting machine which cooperate with the needle bar and needles in performing the knitting operations. It will be appreciated that the needles must be positioned with great accuracyso that they move through exactly pre-determined paths -in the performance of knitting operations. Other novel featuresof the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings and will be hereinafter described in detail.

In the drawings: i g

Figure 1 is a side elevation of portion of a knitting machine showing a needle bar and its operating mechanism, the operating shafts being shown in section;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of this mechanism; Figure 4 is a section on line. H of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a section on line)55 of Figure 3; Figure 6 is a similar section but showing one of the parts in a different position; and

Figure '7' is a side elevation of portion of the mechanism, showing details.

The frame of the machine is shown only in part and the means for driving the operating parts is not illustrated. It will be understood that theneedle bar illustrated, and its operating mechanism, comprises only one knitting unit of a knitting machine embodying a plurality of such units, all driven from a common source of power which may be-for instance an electrical motor located at one end of the machine. The various elements which cooperate with the neelikewise not illustrated, as these elements are of conventional form and comprise no portion ofthe present invention.

A small portion of the frame of the machine, which may be designated the table, is'indicated at Hi, this table extending longitudinally of the machine and being located just above the needle bar operating shafts. The needle bar rock shaft is indicated at ll and it will be understood that this is a relatively long shaft mounted in'suitable bearings for rocking movement and to which the needle bars are individually connected at spaced intervals along the shaft. A second rock shaft,

which may be designated a press shaft, is indicated at l2, and this shaft is also suitably suption '16 having a cylindrical aperture therein throigh which the needle bar rock shaft ll projects, there being no positive connection between arm and shaft at this point, the shaft II and bearing I6 being freely rotatable relatively to each other. At its outer end the needle bar arm has rigidly secured thereto a cross bar |1 having cylindrically formed' end portions. Upon each of these cylindrical portions l8 of the cross bar is mounted, respectively, a bracket l9 formed as a clamping bracket in that it is split as shown in Figure 1 and the parallel portions 20 thereof being provided with interiorly threaded aligned apertures through which clamping screw 2| projects.

The outer ends of clamping brackets l9 lie be- I tween downwardly projecting spaced lugs 22 of 'needle bar supporting brackets 23 and hinge pins 24 project through aligned apertures in lugs 22 and clamping brackets l9, these hinge pins being detachably secured in position by retaining screws 25. The needle bar is thus supported for rocking movement about the common axis of hinge pins 24. Projecting downwardly from the needle bar assembly is the needle bar rocking lever 26 and the lower end of this lever 26 is connected by means of a link 21 to a press arm 28 mounted upon the press shaft l2 so as to rock with that shaft. Arm 28 may be angularly adjusted with respect to shaft |2 when the clamp screw 29 is loosened and thereafter tightly secured upon the shaft by tightening the clamping screw. Link 21 is pivotally connected at 36 to lever 26 and is provided with a plurality of notches 3| any one of which may be engaged with a pin 32 fixed upon press arm 26 so that the needle bar lever 26 and'the needle bar itself may be caused to occupy different angular relationships with the vertical by shifting pin 32 from notch to notch.

Toward the .end of the press link 21 remote from pivot 30 are a plurality of hooks 33 eitherone of which may be caused to engage a short horizontal bar 34 rigidly secured to the lower end of a bracket member 35 depending from the table ill. By lifting the press link 21 so that one of the hooks 33 operatively engages the supporting bar 34, the

needle bar may be disengaged from the oscillating press shaft l2, as will be apparent.

Fixed upon needle bar rock shaft II, as by means of' pins ii and upon opposite sides of the needle bar arm l5, respectively, are rocker arms 40 and 4 l, these arms extending toward the cross bar |1 mounted upon the outer end of the needle bar arm l5 and the outer ends of rocker arms 46 and 4| being flattened as shown most clearly in Figures 5 and 6 and lying parallel and closely adjacent the vertical side faces of the needle bar arm |5. Secured to the lower edges of the ends of rockers 40 and 4| is a bridging or connecting member 42 and pivotally connected to member 4 as by means of a pivot pin 43 is a swinging latch member 44 which may be moved from the position in which it is shown in Figure 5, in which its free end is retained within a notch formed in rocker arm 40, to the position in which it is shown in Figure 6, in which its free end is remote from rocker arm 40. Latch member 44 is provided with an adjustable securing screw 45 and bridging plate 42 has a similar adjustable securing screw 46, provided with a locking nut 41. When the latch member 44 is in the position in which it is illustrated in Figure 5, the lower endof securing screw 45 engages-the needle bar arm I 5, being received within a notch 48 formed in'the upper surface of that arm, and the upper end of supporting screw 46 engages the under surface of the needle bar arm;

By the means just described, therefore, the

rocker arms 40 and 4| may be connected to'ordisconnected from the needle bar arm and likewise the angular relationship of the needle bar arms and rocker arms may be changed within limits by manipulating the securing and adjusting screws 45 and 46. It will be apparent by this arrangement that the needle bar may be operatively connected to or disconnected from the needle bar rock shaft H as desired, and also that its angular relationship to the needle bar rock shaft may be adjusted.

Extending-upwardly from the needle bar arm I 5 at about its mid-point is a hanger 50, this hanger being formed in three portions, as most clearly shown in Figure '7, a lower bracket-dike portion 5| secured to the needle bar arm in any suitable manner, as by means of machine screws 52; an intermediate portion 53 pivotally connected to the lower portion 5 I, as by a pivot member 54; and an upper portion 55 connected to the intermediate portion 53 for a limited longitudinal adjustment relatively "thereto, as by means of screw bolts 56 which extend through circular apertures formed in one of these members and elongated slots formed in the other.

Toward its upper end, part 55 is provided with a circular aperture 55. Slidably mounted upon a bracket 51 secured to table I is a latching pin or locking pin 58, one end of which is adapted to pass through aperture 55' in .the hanger 56 and the other end of which is provided with a curved portion 59 which may be caused to rest in either one or the other'of notches 60 formed in a plate' 6| secured to bracket 51, and to be thereby locked against longitudinal movement; It is the function of the hanger 50 and locking pin 58-to transmit the weight of the needle bar and I and the needle bar assemblyto the table portion iii of the frame when the needle bar arm is disconnected from rocker arms 40 and 4|, the needle bar being thereby itself supported from the frame and rei'naining stationary while the rocker arms 46 and 4| may continue to oscillate with the needle bar rock shaft II.

For supporting the needle arm |5 against longitudinal sliding movements on the needle bar rock shaft l| screws 65 are provided, these screws extending respectively through aligned,-

interiorly threaded apertures formed in rocker arms 46-and 4|, the heads 66 of the screws bearing against vertical side faces formed on the needle bar arm and the screws being likewise provided with locking nuts 61. The screw heads therefore. comprise abutment members preventing longitudinal-movement of the needle.

bar arm upon shaft ii and also constitute means for effecting longitudinal adjustment of the needle bar and needle bar arm axially of this shaft, since by manipulating screws 65 the needle bar arm may be longitudinally shifted and thereafter locked in such shifted position.

In the normal operation of the mechanism just described the needle bar arm l5 will be operatively connected to the rocker arms and 4|, the latching member 44 occupying the position in which it is shown in Figure 5, and the supporting and adjusting screws and 46 having their inner ends tightly engaging the upper and lower surfaces of the needle bar arm as shown in this figure. Assuming that it becomes apparent that the needles have become broken or dlsarranged so that the product being produced is imperfect, and hence that it is necessary to halt the operations of this particular needle bar for 'the purpose of inspection and repair,. the first step of the operator will be to stop aoeaeee the entire machine. This stopping will be ef-- fected in such manner that when the parts finally come to rest, the needle bar arm 15 will be in its highest or uppermost position. As soon as the parts have become stationary, the securing screw 45 is backed out to the position in which it is shown in Figure 6 and the latching member 44 swung laterally into the position in which it is shown in this figure. bar arm may then be slightly raised until the aperture 55' in the hanger 50 is in line with the end of the latching member or locking pin 58 and the locking pin is then slid longitudinally in its bearings so as to pass through this aperture, the end 59 of the locking pin being then depressed into the notch 60 which lies nearest the hanger '50 so that the pin is locked in this position. The weight of the needle bar and needle bar arm is therefore transmitted to the platform Ill through the hanger." Next the press link 2! is lifted and the pin 32 disengaged thereby, one or the other of the hooks 33 being caught upon the suspending-bar 34. The needle bar operating lever 26 is therefore disconnected from the press shaft I 2. the needle bar is wholly disconnected from both operating shafts I I and I2 and the machine may then be started so that the remaining needle bars may continue to function while the needle bar needing repair will remain stationary. Repairs may therefore be conveniently made without materially decreasing the production of the machine as an entirety. Afterthe needle bar has been placed in proper condition for operation the entire machine will again be stopped, the locking pin 58 operated to release the hanger 50, and the needle bar arm l5 again operatively connected to the rocking levers 40 and M- by actuation of the latch member 44 and the se-. curing screw 45. The entire machine may then be started.

By the mechanism just described great saving in operating time for a machine having a,plurality of individually operating needle bars will be realized. Furthermore the advantages of very fine and accurate adjustability will also be realized. As has been before explained the needle bar arm l5 may be moved axially of the shaft H and retained accurately in any desired position of adjustment. Likewise its angular position relative to this shaft may be accurately adjusted. Again the needle bar itself may be very accurately adjusted to truly horizontal position by manipulation of the clamping brackets time,'- sometimes for a comparatively lengthy period, it is necessary to provide means to pass lubricant to the contacting cylindrical bearing surfaces of shaft H and :needle bar arm bearing 16. The shaft Ii fits snugly within the hearing l6 and, as previously set forth, continues to oscillate when theneedle bararm is disconnected.

Therefore oil ducts I6 are formed in bearing -1 nember l6 and from time totime lubricant is The needle After this has been done,-

position.

passed through these ducts to the bearing surfaces mentioned to prevent wear.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A full fashioned knitting machine comprising a rock shaft and a plurality of knitting units to be simultaneously operated by said rock shaft,

each such unit including, a needle bar arm hav-' ing one end rotatably mounted on said shaft and carrying a needle bar, a rocker arm fixed upon said rock shaft at a point adjacent the needle bar arm; and means for operatively connecting and disconnectingsaid needle bar arm and said rocker arm, said means including an adjustment device whereby the angular relationship of the arms may be varied, and said connecting means including members cooperative to insure reconnec-' tion of said arms in the same relationship that existed prior to their disconnection.

2. A full fashioned knitting machine comprising a rock shaft and a plurality of knitting units to be simultaneously operated by said rock shaft,

each such unit including, a needle bar arm having one end rotatably mounted on said shaft and carrying a needlebar, two rocker arms fixed on said shaft, one on each side of said needle bar arm, and means detachably connecting said rocker arms and needle bar arm, said. means includeach such unit including, a needle bar arm having one end rotatably mounted on said shaft and. carrying a needle bar, two rocker arms fixed on said shaft, one on each side of said needle bar arm, and means detachably connecting said rocker arms and needle bar arm, said means including a swinging latch member pivotally connected to one of said rocker arms and adapted to project within a recess formed in the other rocker.

ann.

4. A full fashioned knitting machine comprising a rock shaft and a plurality of; knitting units to be simultaneously operated by said rock shaft, each such unit including, a needle bar arm having one' end rotatably mounted on said shaft and carrying a needle bar, two rocker arms fixed on said shaft, one on each side of said needle bar arm, and means detachably connecting said rocker arms and needle bar arm, said means including two spaced cross members extending'from one rocker arm to the other, one of said members being fixed and the other comprising a swinging latch member, the needle bar arm lying between said cross members and being retained thereby when said swinging latch member is in latchin 5. The'combination set forth in claim 4, in which the said cross members are provided, respectively, with adjusting means contacting with the needle bar arm whereby the angular relationship of the needle bar arm may be varied with respect to the rocker arms. 5

6. A full fashioned knitting-machine comprising a rock shaft and a plurality of. knitting units to be simultaneously operated by said rock shaft, each such unit including, a needle bar arm having a needle'bar mounted thereon, means for reconnection of said arm to said shaft in the same relationship that existed prior to'their disconnection, a frame part above said needle bar arm, and means for connecting the needle bar armto the frame part when said, am is disconnected from said shaft.

'7. A full fashioned knitting machine comprising a rock shaft and a plurality of knitting units to be simultaneously operated by said rock shaft, each suchunit including, a needle bar arm hav-' ing a needle bar mounted thereon, means foroperatively connecting said needle bar arm to said rock shaft or disconnecting it therefrom, said means including members cooperative to insure reconnection of said arm to said shaft in the same relationship that existed prior to their disconnection, a frame part above said needle bar arm, and means for connecting the needle bar arm to the fame part when said arm is disconnected from said-shaft, said means including a hanger member attached to said arm and extending upwardly therefrom, and a latch member mounted on the frame for detachably engaging the hanger member.

8. A full fashioned knitting machine comprising a rock shaft and a plurality of knitting units to be simultaneously operated by said rock shaft, each such unit including, a needle bar arm having a needle bar mounted thereon, means for operatively connecting said needle bar arm to said rock shaft or disconnecting it therefrom, a

frame part above said needle bar arm, and means for connecting the needle bar arm to the frame part when said arm is disconnected from said shaft, said means including a hanger member attached to said arm and extendingupwardly therefrom, said member being apertured at its upper end, and a locking pin slidably mounted 'on the frame part and adapted to be. projected within said aperture or removed therefrom.

9. A full fashioned knitting machine comprising two rock shafts and a plurality of knitting units to be simultaneously operated by said rock shaft, each such unit including, a needle bar, and means connecting said needle bar to both of said shafts whereby it is supported and operated, said means being di'sconnectible so that the-needle bar may remain stationary when the shafts are in operation, and said means including members cooper-' ative to insure reconnection of saidneedle bar to said shafts in the same relationship that existed prior to its disconnection therefrom.

10. A full fashioned knitting machine comprising a frame and a plurality of knitting units to be simultaneously operated by said rock shaft, each such unit including, a needle bar, means for vertically reciprocating the needle bar, and means for rocking the needle bar about a horizontal axis, said last mentioned means including a rock shaft having an arm and a link connecting said arm and needle bar, said link being detachable from said arm, and means for supporting the link from the frame when disconnected from said arm.

11. A full fashioned knitting machine comprising a-rock shaft, a needle bararm rotatably mounted on said shaft and carrying a needle bar, and

means for connecting said arm to said shaft for movement therewith, said means including threaded elements disposed substantially parallel to the shaft for adjusting the position of the needle bar arm longitudinally along the shaft.

12. A full fashioned knitting machine comprising a rock shaft, a needle bar arm adapted to be oscillated thereby, said arm having a cross bar 75 at the end remote from said shaft, brackets mounted upon the ends of said cross bar and adjustable circumferentially about the longitudinal axis of said bar, means for locking said brackets in fixed adjustment on said cross bar and a needle bar' pivotally mounted on said brackets.

13. A full fashioned knitting machine comprising an elongated rock shaft and a plurality of knitting units to be simultaneously operated by said rock shaft, each such unit including a needle bar, and means for normally transmitting rockingmovements of the shaft to the bar for knitting purposes, said means comprising a rocker arm secured to said rock shaft, a needle bar arm secured to said needle bar and readily disconnectible means for securing said needlebar arm to said rocker arm, said last named means including members cooperative to insure reconnection of said needle bar arm and said rocker arm in the same relationship that existed prior to their disconnection.

14. A full fashioned knitting machine compris- -ing a rock shaft and a plurality of knitting units -cooperative to insure reconnection of said arm to said shaft in the same relationship that existed prior to its disconnection therefrom.

15. A full fashioned knitting machine comprising a frame, a rock shaft and a plurality of knitting-units to be simultaneously operated by said rock shaft, each such unit including a needle bar arm having a needle bar mounted thereon, means for operatively connecting said arm to said shaft or disconnecting the same therefrom, said means including members cooperative to insure reconnection of said arm to said shaft in the same relationship that existed prior 'to their disconnection and means for connecting the arm and frame when the arm and shaft are operatively disconnected.

16. A full fashioned knitting machine comprising a rock shaft and a plurality of knitting units to be simultaneously operated by said rock shaft, each such unit including a needle bar arm rotatably mounted on said shaft and carrying a needle bar, and means for connecting said arm to said shaft for-movement therewith, said connection being effected at a point remote from said shaft, said connecting means including members cooperative to insure reconnection of said arm' to said shaft in the same relationship that existed prior to their disconnection.

17. A full fashioned knitting machine comprising a rock shaft and a plurality of knitting units to be simultaneously operated by said rock shaft,

each such unit including a needle bar arm hav' arms in the same relationship that existed prior.

to their disconnection.

JOHN VINCENT BRADLEY. 

